The present invention generally relates to lid locking mechanisms for a lid of an automatic tape cassette loading and unloading apparatus, and more particularly to a lid locking mechanism which locks the lid in a closed state when a tape cassette is loaded into a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, so as to prevent an erroneous operation of loading a tape cassette into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus when another tape cassette is already loaded into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
Automatic tape cassette loading and unloading apparatuses are known. Among such automatic tape cassette loading and unloading apparatuses, there is an automatic tape cassette loading an unloading apparatus applied to the so-called front loading type recording and/or reproducing apparatus. The front loading type recording and/or reproducing apparatus has a tape cassette inserting opening provided in a front panel thereof. The tape cassette inserting opening has a horizontally elongated shape. When a tape cassette is partly inserted into the tape cassette inserting opening, a motor starts so as to automatically carry and load the tape cassette into a loaded position within the recording and/or reproducing apparatus. On the other hand, when a tape cassette ejecting operation is carried out in a state where the tape cassette assumes the loaded position within the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the motor starts so as to automatically unload the tape cassette from the loaded position and eject the tape cassette through the tape cassette inserting opening. Generally, the automatic tape loading and unloading apparatus is provided with a lid which covers the tape cassette inserting opening of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus. In order to enable downsizing of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the lid is rotatably supported along a top edge of the longer side of the horizontally elongated tape cassette inserting opening. Hence, the lid covers the tape cassette inserting opening when the lid assumes a vertically hanging position. On the other hand, the lid rotates inwardly towards the recording and/or reproducing apparatus up to a horizontal position, when opening the tape cassette inserting opening.
In the automatic tape cassette loading and unloading apparatus, a lid locking mechanism is provided with respect to the lid so as to lock the lid in the vertically hanging position, that is, in the closed position, when a tape cassette assumes the loaded position within the recording and/or reproducing apparatus. In other words, the lid locking mechanism is provided so as to prevent an erroneous operation of loading a tape cassette into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus when another tape cassette is already loaded into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus. When the lid locking mechanism locks the lid in the closed position, the lid will not open even when the lid is pushed from outside the recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
A conventional lid locking mechanism is designed to lock the lid in the closed position by use of locking pins. The locking pins move upwardly behind the lid in relation to the tape cassette loading operation, so as to project within the rotating path of the lid and prevent the lid from opening after a tape cassette is loaded into the apparatus. The locking pins move downwardly in relation to the tape cassette unloading operation, so as to recede from the rotating path of the lid and allow the lid to open when the tape cassette is being unloaded. Owing to this design, the following problems may occur when considering the operations an operator of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus may perform.
That is, when loading the tape cassette into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the operator may press his finger against the rear of the tape cassette and hence insert his finger within the tape cassette inserting opening, together with the tape cassette. In such a case, the timing with which the lid closes, is delayed because the finger of the operator will prevent the lid from closing. As a result, the locking pins will move upwardly and project within the rotating path of the lid before the lid assumes the closed position, and the lid will be positioned behind the locking pins when the finger of the operator is removed from the tape cassette inserting opening. In this case, the locking pins will not lock the lid in the closed position, and the lid is free to open. Therefore, the locking pins will not function so as to prevent the erroneous operation of loading a tape cassette into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus when another tape cassette is already loaded into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus. On the other hand, when the lid is positioned behind the locking pins as described above, the operator may insert his finger within the tape cassette inserting opening as the tape cassette is being unloaded from the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, because the lid is free to open. In this case, there is a danger in that the operator's finger may be pinched between a tape cassette holder and a top plate of the automatic tape cassette loading and unloading apparatus.
The conventional lid locking mechanism described heretofore is also disadvantageous in that the construction of the lid locking mechanism is complex and the manufacturing cost of the lid locking mechanism is high. When the conventional lid locking mechanism is to be applied to the existing automatic tape cassette loading and unloading apparatus, various design modifications must be made, and problems are introduced when actually assembling the lid locking mechanism with the automatic tape cassette loading and unloading apparatus.